Pittsburgh Public Theater and American Theatre Partner For Critical Insight Fellowship

Critical Insight is a new generative writing fellowship that unites dynamic emerging voices in arts journalism with high-impact cultural critics and reporters through an industry-first partnership between Pittsburgh Public Theater and American Theatre magazine. Fellows are immersed in arts and criticism for 7 months and have the opportunity to develop their portfolio while being a part of conversations at the cutting edge of the fields. Critical Insight is a collaboration between arts organizations, critics and arts journalists, and publishing partners, all of whom benefit from the healthier arts economies good criticism generates.

Applications open Monday, April 8, and are due Saturday, June 15, 2024; the program begins in September 2024. Applicants should have fewer than 2 years of professional arts journalism experience, be located in or near the Pittsburgh metropolitan area for the duration of the fellowship, and be at least 18 years old by March 1, 2025. Emerging critics, students, theatermakers, dramaturges, writers in other fields, journalists looking for a new beat, and theater lovers should apply.

Seminar sessions

At the core of Critical Insight are seminar sessions with high impact critics, editors, writers, thinkers, and artists. Seminar sessions generally take place virtually on Wednesday evenings from 4 to 6 p.m. EST from September 2024 to April 2025. Seminar sessions through Critical Insight are intimate, cutting-edge discussions between cultural leaders designed to bring both theory and practical advice from the forefront of the field straight to fellows. Examples of topics include Critics as Artists as Critics, Coast to Coast Critiques, Lessons from the Lab, and more.

Editorial development

Critical Insight fellows will each receive personalized one-on-one mentorship from editors of American Theatremagazine, who will advise fellows on story generation and selection, pitching editors at other publications, developing their personal critical voices, and building sustainable careers in arts journalism. Work generated through Critical Insight may be picked up for publication by a number of media organizations, including American Theatre magazine itself.

Critical Insight work will also be distributed via fellow-curated newsletters and in partnership with Point Park University's Next Generation Newsroom, a new initiative from the university's Center for Media Innovation. Fellows will also benefit from Critical Insight's partnership with the Pittsburgh Media Partnership, a professional initiative from the Center for Media Innovation that includes more than 25 active publishing partners, representing both large regional publications and more local community outlets. Fellows will receive support and guidance from Critical Insight in finding the perfect freelance placements for their work.

Arts experience

We believe that just as novelists hone their craft by reading, critics hone their craft by seeing an extraordinary amount of theater. Numerous arts partners of Pittsburgh Public Theater have invited fellows to take advantage of complimentary season subscriptions to lower fellows' barrier to immersing in Pittsburgh's theater community, and deep exposure to The Public's artistic processes brings fellows closer than ever to the art. Partners include Quantum Theatre, the New Hazlett Theater, Pittsburgh Playwrights, and more.

Regional insight

Critical Insight culminates with an all-expenses-paid four-day regional theater retreat in Spring 2025 to Washington, D.C., where fellows will have the chance to immerse in another thriving theatrical region. The weekend trip will include comfortable accommodations and connections over meals, tickets to numerous productions, access to theater leaders and artists, and in-person seminar opportunities. Specific dates for the Critical Insight regional retreat will be shared with fellows who are offered positions in the program prior to the offer acceptance deadline.

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